The Spirit of Cattail County
Victoria Piontek
Scholastic, 2018
Paperback, 288 pages
Trigger Warnings: N/A
About the Author: Victoria Piontek taught English to middle school students in New York City and Education Methods to teachers at Pace University prior to joining ABLA. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hollins University, a MST in Education from Pace University, and B.A. in Journalism from the University of North Florida. The Spirit of Cattail County is her first novel.
“But the way they looked didn’t matter. They looked the way they did because that’s the way they’d been born. It didn’t make them one thing or the other. Dandelions and roses looked vastly different, but they were both flowers.”
Sparrow needs help that much is certain. After the death of her mother, Aunt Geraldine is threatening to sell the only home that Sparrow has ever known: Dalton House.
To make matters worse, her best and only friend seems bent on terrorizing her aunt and aggravating the situation. But what else is a boy supposed to do? The Boy is a sad and mischievous ghost, and he hates seeing Aunt Geraldine pick on Sparrow. However, the longer Aunt Geraldine spends in Dalton House, the weaker the Boy becomes. He’s beginning to disappear altogether. Sparrow needs help saving her home, her friend, and maybe even her mother’s spirit.Join Sparrow Dalton, Elena the child physic, Johnny and Maeve Casto as they join together to protect Dalton House from Aunt Geraldine, find Sparrow’s father, and unlock the mysterious past of the Boy. Teeming with a life as vibrant as the Florida marshes, The Spirit of Cattail County is rich with thought-provoking history, strong characters, and friendships that transcend lifetimes. Readers of all ages will be left with the desire to have their fortunes told and to visit their local library for a look into their town archives—after all, every town has its secrets.
PRR Editor, Cheyenne Lopex
